Winter 2011

The Perfect Partner

On November 29 and 30, theMushroom Council joined thePartnership for a Healthier America(PHA) as a key sponsor of theinaugural “Building a HealthierFuture” Summit to help addresssolutions to end childhood obesity.The premise of PHA is to encouragecollaboration to solve a problem thatis too big for any group or companyto solve on its own. PHA’s inauguralsummit brought together 800 opinionleaders and representatives fromcorporations, advocacy groups, andfoundations to address approaches to solving childhood obesity from everyangle, with the goal of reversing the epidemic within a generation.

A critical step toward this objective is promoting healthy family eating habits;specifically, meeting the recommendations for increased fruit and vegetableconsumption set forth in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Inappreciation of the Council’s involvement, PHA CEO Lawrence A. Soler noted,“It was rewarding to have the Mushroom Council at the summit to providesamples of delicious recipes and demonstrate easy ideas to get more produceonto our plates.”

Whether at restaurants, in schools or at home, mushrooms provide whatpeople seek when eating healthfully – flavor, nutrition, versatility, affordability.Mushrooms’ hearty texture and flavor make them compatible with meats andtherefore a tasty ingredient to seamlessly swap in kid favorites like spaghetti,tacos and sloppy Joes to reduce calories (and add an extra vegetable serving).

Replacing some of thehigher-calorie itemsin a recipe with dicedmushrooms cutscalories whilemaintaining satiety.A simple swap canmake a difference.(Check out thismushroom and beefblend taco recipe.)

Are you doingsomething to help bringan end to childhoodobesity? Let us knowhow you are usingmushrooms to help!

Mushrooms and Immunity in the News

Take a look at how the nutrients in mushrooms may contribute to a healthy immune system.

Fight the flu, boost your immune system, one bite at a time – USA Today

Fall Back to Good Health – The Huffington Post Alternative Cold and Flu Remedies – Women’s Health

Mushrooms onthe Menu

At the summit, attendees enjoyed thefollowing appetizers; tasty reminders ofthe potential that mushrooms can bringto the table:

• Portabella Skins

• Portabella Mushroom and SmokedTofu Steambuns

• Filo Purses Stuffed with Mushroomsand Artichokes

• Wonton Pizzas with Asian-StyleMushrooms

• Cremini and Pork Albondigas

• Mushroom Bulgogi Tacos

Visitwww.mushroominfo.com for the latest news, recipes and blog posts from the MushroomCouncil. Follow us on Twitter@MushroomChannel and check us out on Facebook.

The Mushroom Council is composed of fresh market producers or importers who average more than 500,000 pounds ofmushrooms produced or imported annually. The mushroom program is authorized by the Mushroom Promotion, Research andConsumer Information Act of 1990 and is administered by the Mushroom Council under the supervision of the AgriculturalMarketing Service. Research and promotion programs help to expand, maintain and develop markets for individual agriculturalcommodities in the United States and abroad. These industry self-help programs are requested and funded by the industrygroups that they serve.

Savory chicken and mushrooms balanced with the sweetness ofraisins and red bell peppers will make this curried one-pan recipe afamily favorite.

Curried Chicken with Raisins and MushroomsServes: 4Preparation Time: 30 minutes

• 1 ½ tsp. olive oil, extravirgin or virgin

• 2 boneless, skinlesschicken breasts (about12 oz), diced into 1-inchcubes

• 2 cups sliced fresh whitemushrooms

• 2 cups sliced creminimushrooms

• ½ medium red bell pepper,cut to ¾” squares

• 2 cups chicken broth,lower sodium

• 1 cup Sun-Maid raisins• 2 cups instant whole

grain rice• 1 ½ Tbsp. curry powder

Heat olive oil in large sauté pan. With heat on medium-high, placechicken in pan and cover with lid. Cook chicken about 5 minutes. Addmushrooms and peppers to pan and sauté 3-4 minutes. Add chickenbroth. Gently mix in raisins, rice and curry powder; bring to boil,reduce heat and cover. Simmer until rice is done; fluff with fork andlet sit 3-5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information per Serving (based on 4 servings): Calories: 440; Total Fat: 6g;Saturated Fat: 1g; % of Calories from Fat: 12%; % Calories from Sat Fat: 2%; Protein: 27g;Carbohydrates: 71g; Cholesterol: 55mg; Dietary Fiber: 6g; Sodium: 410mg.

An excellent source of protein, fiber, vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, B6, pantothenic acid,potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and copper, and a good source of vitamin A, thiamin,iron, and zinc.

Courtesy of the Mushroom Council and Produce for Better Health Foundation

Turning MyPlate Into YourPlate

Cooking Tips

• Replace a portion ofthe chicken in thisdish with additionalmushrooms to createa leaner meal, withless calories and fat.

• Save time bypurchasing slicedmushrooms, fresh orfrozen bell pepperstrips and dicedchicken.

Helping you BringMyPlate to Life

The Mushroom Council recently became a NationalStrategic Partner in the USDA/Center for Nutrition Policyand Promotion (CNPP) Nutrition Communicators Networkto further promote the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. TheCouncil shares CNPP’s goal to improve the health andwell-being of Americans through promotion of healthyeating habits, with a specific emphasis on eating moreproduce (like mushrooms!).

Therefore, after the release of MyPlate in June, theCouncil teamed up with the Produce for Better HealthFoundation (PBH) to dish up a plate featuring mushroomsas part of the solution to bring the “half-the-plate”message to life. Not only do mushrooms taste deliciouswith nearly any dish they are paired with, they also addheaps of nutrients to meals.

The Council is sponsoring five more plates to showcasehow easy it is for consumers to add mushrooms toeveryday dishes for extra veggies and nutrients. Theseplates serve as a clear, visual tool to help consumerstranslate what making half your plate fruits andvegetables looks like in real-life mealtime situations.

• Use the Council’s plate as an example to teach yourclients about MyPlate and the “half-the-plate”recommendation

• Share PBH’s Fruits & Veggies—More Matters MyPlateMakeover Challenge with your clients so that they cansee MyPlate in action by making the recipes at home

• Stay tuned to the Mushroom Channel for new platesand recipe ideas

City of Hope Highlights Mushrooms in Healthy RecipesCity of Hope, one of the nation’s leading cancer researchand treatment centers, features mushrooms in their“Super Foods for Super Health: Cooking against Cancer”initiative. Find out more about the program, whichincludes Mushroom Council recipes, on the City of HopeFacebook Page.

Mouthwatering Ideas for“Mushroom Mondays”

Rosemaryand Hazelnut

StuffedMushrooms

Cream ofMushroom

Soup

MushroomBarley Risotto

Beef,Shiitake andSnow PeaStir-Fry